Re: Let's Play! Utena, Round 3: The Path Before Us Has Been Prepared

I wanna hear Utena's semi-confused, unintentionally profound and heartbreaking one-liner of obvious advice, or those innocently confident and self-assured platitudes of hers that can sometimes hurt just as much.

D-ko can't even bring herself to think about what Chigusa, Touga, and Miki might be doing in the abandoned fencing hall.

(The bells ring, signaling the end of class. Students chat, and so on.)

Utena;Ahh, it's over, it's over.C'mon, let's head back.

D-ko:Huh? But, the morning classes have only just finished...

Utena:Nah...Today, the school decided that we only have class in the morning.Didn't you hear?

D-ko:Eh? Is that right...?And, that's right... if I believe that masked person at the ball,today is the day that I'm supposed to disappear...Today, if Utena loses her duel...

Utena:What is it? Is there something on my face?

D-ko:No, nothing like that, but...Hey, Utena. If that card from before is right,you have a duel today, right?

Utena:Oh, you're right! That's today.

...dammit, Utena, we reminded you of this last night.

D-ko:"That's today..."Utena, did you forget about it?

Utena:No, I remembered that it was coming up soon, but...You know, usually duels happen right away,(because someone suddenly gets all crazy or whatever.)So anyway, I wonder why the 25th?I think it's better to duel right away.

D-ko:...hey, Utena? If you lose, I might disappear.

Utena:Yeah. But, we don't know if that's true or not...And anyway, if I win, it will probably be fine, right?

D-ko:Yeah... probably.

Utena:I may not look it, but I'm pretty strong.I'm undefeated in my four duels, you know.

D-ko:...yeah.

Utena:C'mon, don't look so gloomy.Today's a half-day... let's go into town to celebrate.If it's okay, want to come with me?

D-ko:Utena, you have a duel this evening!

Utena:Oh, yeah.

D-ko:Keep it together, Utena!

Utena:Yeah, but, unlike normal, I don't even know who I'm dueling...so I don't know how nervous to be or anything.

D-ko:...(sigh)What should I do... is there anyone I can talk with besides Utena?

Re: Let's Play! Utena, Round 3: The Path Before Us Has Been Prepared

We have just proved beyond any reasonable doubt that Utena just doesn't think, no wonder Anthy could sneak out to see her brother, become Mamiya to see Mikage, be at the top of the dueling arena before Utena, play with zombie Kanae and terrorize Nanami, all of this without Utena wondering where Anthy was...

Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils - H. Berlioz.

Re: Let's Play! Utena, Round 3: The Path Before Us Has Been Prepared

D-ko:Nobody!?What should I do... I don't have anyone to talk to!I'm all alone...What should I do... What should I do...?

D-ko:Huh? Was this building always here?"Nemuro Memorial Hall"... I've never heard of it.Doesn't look like it's marked in my student handbook...But the door is open, so I guess it's okay to go in?

Hey D-ko, you didn't fill out a form.

D-ko:I... don't have any friends.I did at my old school.But at this academy...

D-ko:I'm not the sort of studentwho comes to Ohtori Academy.I'm surrounded by all these wonderful, goregous people...But I'm just a useless, ordinary girl.

Mikage:Deeper.Go deeper...

D-ko:I don't have any friends.So... books are my only friends.Only books, which can always make me smile...

D-ko:The real me is just a boring girl,who only reads books.The me who exists in this gorgeous world...is just a lie.

Mikage:I understand.I suppose you have no choice but to Revolutionize the World.The path before you has been prepared.

Interesting! Apparently D-ko is a bookworm desperately trying to reinvent herself at her new school. That fits. (Her best subject is even Japanese.)

YOU BECAME A BLACK ROSE DUELIST.

Utena:What the heck? She was a pretty weak Duelist, huh?

Anthy:Rather disappointing, wasn't it?

Mikage:Honestly.

It's your own fault, Mikage. What about D-ko screamed "Duelist material" to you?

And that's that. Not a great ending, but I wasn't really expecting it to be: it's the "total failure" mirror image of the Akio ending, after all. And I accomplished my goal of covering a whole lot of new ground, including all those Chigusa-pleasing choices that one ordinarily wouldn't take.

I think I'm done here: I don't plan on doing another playthrough like this, or at least not anytime soon. I'm going to miss exploring Ohtori with D-ko, but I have other projects I want to work on. Everyone, thanks a lot for following along and helping these game threads to thrive! It's been a pleasure!

P.S. Did I mention that when you load up the second disc, a random member of the cast sings the "Se-gaaaa!" riff? ...because they do.

Re: Let's Play! Utena, Round 3: The Path Before Us Has Been Prepared

...Mikage's "Honestly." Just... I thought I could not love this man anymore than I already did. HOW WRONG I WAS.

Thank you, Dalbun, for doing this for us. It's been seriously awesome, and I can but imagine the time it must have taken to play, translate, screen cap and code these posts. So many of us would never have seen it without your AWESOMENESS, so...thank you so very, very much.

...and you comment about Utena's thought processes will give me joy for many years to come. IT'S SO DAMN TRUE.

It takes forty-seven New Zealanders eight months to make just one batch of 42 Below Vodka. ...luckily, that leaves one of us free to be Prime Minister.